UK Broadcasters Ramp Online Video Initiatives on Brightcove Platform

A little over two years ago, Brightcove opened its European headquarters in London. In that short amount of time, the UK has become an important global center for innovation in the online video industry, often spearheaded by television broadcasters in the market.

We’ve had the honor of working with many of the leading UK broadcasters, including ITV, Channel 4, Five, BSkyB, UKTV and STV. This week, we are very excited to add Virgin Media Television to the list.

Over the past two years, we’ve noticed a number of interesting growth trends in the UK broadcast sector.

For example, in 2007 UK broadcast customers uploaded an average of around 250 videos per month into the Brightcove service. Today, the number is closer to 550 videos per month, representing 80 percent growth year/year.

The average length of video segments published online has also grown for this sector, from 1.96 minutes in 2007 to almost 3.5 minutes in 2009.

And consumer demand for online video from UK television broadcasters is showing no sign of slowing. In fact, the stream volume for this sector is growing at 12 percent quarter/quarter.

From short-form original programming to feature-length catch-up TV services, UK broadcasters continue to expand their online video offerings and introduce new initiatives that extend the reach of their content and brands, build community, and provide new monetization opportunities.

We are thrilled to see the market grow and broadcasters ramp their online video initiatives with Brightcove. It’s a privilege to work with so many leaders in the industry and we look forward to continued innovation and growth with our partners in the UK.